Devices for igniting explosive charges inside closed structures



ly 1957 0 D. HfJAcoss 2,800,079 I ozvxcss FOR IGNITING EXPLOSIVE CHARGES INSIDE CLOSED STRUCTURES Filed Jan. 16, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG I mvznToa July 23, 1957 D. H. JACOBS 2,800,079 DEVICES FOR IGNITING EXPLOSIVE CHARGES INSIDE CLOSED STRUCTURES Filed Jan. 16, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 2 IN ENTOR July 23, 1957 2,800,079

D. H. JACOBS DEVICES F IGNITING PLOSIVE CHARGES IN E CLOSED RUCTURES Filed Jan. 16, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR United States PatentQ DEVICES FOR'IGNITING EXPLOSIVE CHARGES INSIDE CLOSED STRUCTURES Donald H. Jacobs, Brookdale, Md.

Application January 16, 1951, Serial No. 206,236

2 Claims. (Cl. 102-654) This invention is intended to comprise improved means and methods for the explosion of charges within closed structures, the purpose being to destroy the occupants thereof. The invention is intended to be used offensively against block houses, bunkers, or other defensive military works, all of which will be understood as being comprehended by the term closed structure as used herein. A block house will be used as a representative example of such a structure.

At the present time the standard method for overcoming enemy resistance, when one of the enemys block houses is attacked, involves the use of rifle and automatic weapons fire against the ports of the block house to cause the occupants thereof to cease firing at the attackers and withdraw from the ports. While this is being done, several attacking soldiers move forward to positions in proximity to the outer Walls of the block house, and station themselves adjacent to block house ports. Upon cessation of supporting fire, they thrust explosive charges, carried on the ends of poles, through the ports of the block house, and then remove themselves from the immediate vicinity of the said ports. After an interval determined by a fuse on the explosive charges, the said charges explode within the block house. As an offsensive measure, this technique has the disadvantage that alert block house defenders have the opportunity of seizing the explosive charges and thrusting them back out through the block house ports. It is not possible for the attacking soldiers to prevent this by manually keeping the poles on which the charges are fastened thrust into the block house, for this would place them in a position in which they could be damaged by the explosion of the charge on the pole.

It is a principal objective of this invention to provide a device whereby an explosive charge can be inserted into a block house in such a fashion that it is not possible for the occupants to remove it therefrom before it explodes.

It is obvious that the device of this invention could be used in many other ways where it is desired to deposit an explosive and cause the explosion thereof at a distance from the carrier of the explosive. For example, the invention could be projected through a block house port by a mortar, grenade discharger, or other propulsion device.

The invention will be described in terms of several possible embodiments Which illustrate the principles of the invention. it Will be realized, however, that numerous other embodiments are possible within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the attached claims.

The invention comprises a warhead (a case which contains an explosive charge and appropriate fusing and detouating devices) and a handle, the handle comprising a pole (on which the charge is mounted), a locking device to keep the aforementionedwarhead fastened to the pole until the operator desires to separate the two by manipulation of the locking device, and (in some embodiments) a spring which may be used to propel the warhead some distance from the handle after the locking device has been operated so as to cause release of the warhead. A

Patented July 23, 1957 fuse in the warhead is automatically ignited when the Warhead separates from the handle, and delays the time of the explosion until both warhead and operator have moved away from the blockhouse aperture through which the case has been thrust by means of the handle.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention,

Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which the warhead may be projected from the handle by means of a spring, and

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the warhead drops from the handle under the influence of gravity, and

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment involving a plurality of spring-dispersed warheads.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1. In this figure, the handle is shown as part A, and the warhead is shown as B.

Handle A comprises a hollow pole 1, a head 2 with a flange 22 mounted therein, a propelling spring 3, and a locking device (4, S, 6). The locking device comprises a rod 5, a bar 6 fastened transversely to the end of rod 5 so as to form a T-shaped head, and a knob 4 which can be used to rotate rod 5 and head 6 by manual manipulation.

Warhead B comprises a metal case 7 with a disc shaped aperture therein, it being possible to pass a bar thereinto through a rectangular slot 8, bosses 9 which project into cavities 10, explosive charge 11, a detonating charge 12, a fuse 13, a percussion cap 14, a striker 15 and striker spring 16, a sear 17, and a scar spring 18.

The warhead B is held in contact with flange 22 of the handle by means of the T-shaped head 6 of the lock ing device. The warhead is supported and positioned by the uppermost part of flange 22, and is prevented from sliding transversely by the bosses 9 which project into the cavities 10. The T-shaped head 6 is normally positioned so that its longest axis is not parallel to the longitudinal slot 8 in the warhead casing 7. Hence the warhead cannot become separated from the handle A. Spring 3 keeps the warhead base firmly in contact with the T-shaped head of the locking device. If desired the T-shaped head can rest in shallow cavities in the bottom of aperture 8 to maintain a more firm position.

When it is desired to employ this invention tactically, the warhead B is thrust into the aperture of a block house and knob 4 is rotated until the T-shaped head 6 of rod 5 is parallel to elongated slot 8 in warhead casing 7 (the long axis of elongated slot 8 may be visualized as being perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 1). When this has been accomplished the warhead B is no longer fastened to handle A, and is projected away from handle A (into the block house) by coil spring 3.

It will be noted that before the warhead and handle are separated, sear 17 bears against flange 22 of handle A. Sear spring 18 bears against pin 19 and tends to force the sear against flange 22.

When the warhead has been released from handle A by operation of the locking device and propelled a short distance away from said handle by spring 3, sear 17 is immediately released from contact with flange 22 and moves, under the influence of sear spring 18, in such a direction as to protrude from, or be expelled from, case 7, thereby releasing sear 17 from notch 20 in striker 15. Striker 15 immediately moves, under the action of spring 16, in such a direction as to strike percussion cap 14, this cap being of a type well known to the art. Upon being struck this cap emits a hot flame which ignites fuse 13, this fuse comprising a powder train, inflammable cord, or any other device well known to the art. The burning interval of fuse 13 is selected so as to be sufficiently short so that the warhead is exploded before it can be recovered by an occupant of the block house and thrown out of it,

The time of this fuse is chosen sufliciently long so that the warhead is permitted to move sufliciently far from the block house port so that the explosive charge will not harm the individual who inserted the demolition into the block house. It is believed that a time interval of about 1 or 2 seconds is satisfactory for fuse 13.

At the end of the selected time interval, fuse 13 ignites detonating charge 12, which in turn ignites the explosive 11. This explosive shatters case 7. This latter case may be serrated, as shown in Fig. 1, or otherwise constructed.

It will be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular type of fusing device shown in Fig. 1, this being merely an explanatory example. The invention is not even limited to the use of burning fuses of the powder train type, but may also embody the use of other conventional types of fuses, such as mechanical fuses involving escapement devices, electrical fuses, and the like. Furthermore, it is not limited to the specific locking mechanism shown in Fig 1, for a large number of locking mechanisms using simple mechanical principles of an obvious nature can be employed in place thereof. Furthermore the invention is not to be considered as limited to the case wherein the locking mechanism is contained within the handle, for simple, obvious locking devices can be so constructed as to be fastened to the handle but which are external to it. Any of the many possible locking devices can comprise various types of push button or trigger devices, and may involve longitudinal and/ or rotational motion of the locking members, or other types of motion thereof.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 2, which comprises a carrying handle A of a type slightly different from that shown in Fig. 1, and a warhead similar to that shown as B in Fig. 1, with the exception that the surface 23 (Fig. 2) is so shaped that warhead B may drop free of handle A under its own weight. The only difference between the handle A shown in Fig. 2, and

the handle A of Fig. 1 is the elimination of the projecting spring 3 of Fig. l, and a consequent change in the structure of the flange fastened to pole 1. The new type of flange used in this embodiment is shown as 21 in Fig. 2. When the warhead B is released from handle A of Fig. 2, it falls therefrom under the action of gravity instead of being projected therefrom by a spring. In all other respects it functions similarly to that described in Fig. 1.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 3. In this figure, an arrangement is shown whereby a plurality of warheads may be fastened to a single handle A. In this figure, the warheads B" are identical to the warhead B of Fig. l with the exception of the fact that the round bosses 9 and aperture 8 of Fig. l are not present in the case of warhead B", and warhead B" has, as a part of its case, a conical boss 30.

The handle A" of the demolition device shown in Fig. 3 comprises pole 34, flange 33 mounted thereon, and a locking mechanism (to be described below) for the purpose of keeping the warheads B" fastened to the handle A" until their release therefrom is desired. The conical bosses 30 on the warheads B" pass through apertures 35 in flange 33. Through the small end of each boss 30 is drilled a single hole 31. Through this hole is inserted a locking pin 32 which prevents the boss from being withdrawn through aperture 35. To each pin is fastened a wire cable which passes around pulleys 37, the pulleys being mounted on pins inserted through pole 34. The pulleys are located in the hollow handle of pole 34. The two cables 40 unite and form a single cable 36 to which is fastened the ring 38. When release of the charges is to be accomplished, the operator pulls ring 38, and this pulling motion is transferred, via cables 36 and 40, to the locking pins 32. This pull causes the pins to move towards the pulleys and thereby permits the warheads B" to drop, under the action of gravity, away from the handle A. As the warheads fall free from the handle A", they are pushed violently apart by coil spring 39 which is positioned between them. The fusing, detonating, and exploding mechanisms in the warheads B" may be similar to those shown in Fig. 1, or may be of any of the other many types which are Well known to the art.

In other embodiments, the coil spring 39 may be omitted, or a projection spring similar to 3 in Fig. 1 may be incorporated in the handle and used to project the warheads into the block house, this being used with or Without an additional spring of the type shown as 39 in Fig. 3.

The invention has been described in terms of embodiments in which the'percussion cap (i. e. 14 in Fig. 1) is placed within the warhead or case. However, other embodiments in which this cap is located on the handle A are also possible.

In any embodiment of this invention, it is probable that the locking device on the handle will be secured by a safety wire or similar device to prevent accidental functioning.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a demolition device, an elongated pole having an outwardly extending flange at one end thereof, a case fitting against said flange and containing an explosive charge, igniting and fusing means for said charge, together with striking means spring-urged to strike said igniting means, restraining means for said striking means. said restraining means being spring-urged to release position and being positioned to be held in restraining position by said flange, means holding said case to said flange and simultaneously holding said restraining means in restraining position, and means extending longitudinally of said pole and operable fro-m the other end thereof for releasing said case from said flange and simultaneously freeing said restraining means for movement to release position.

2. In a demolition device, a plurality of warheads, each containing an explosive charge, fusing and igniting means for said charges, together with striking means spring-urged to strike said igniting means, restraining means holding said striking means in retracted position, an elongated pole having a seat at one end thereof for receiving said warheads, means holding said warheads to said seat and simultaneously holding said restraining means in restraining position, spring means urging said warheads away from each other and from said pole, and means extending longitudinally of said pole and operable from the other end thereof for releasing said warheads from said seat and simultaneously freeing them for movement away from each other and releasing said striking means from said restraining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,296,403 Kindle Mar. 4, 1919 1,319,103 Miller Oct. 21, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,091 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1915 133,079 Great Britain Oct. 9, 1919 307,159 Germany Feb. 24, 1920 877,270 Germany May 21, 1953 

